A FINE GERMAN SPORTING CROSSBOW with slender steel bow painted black and retained by its original gold painted cords, original green woollen tassels (two missing), and original string of twisted cord, walnut full stock (fore-end with minor damage) profusely inlaid with pierced staghorn panels finely engraved with rococo foliage, horn dots, scrolling horn lines enriched with engraved green-stained leaves and terminating in mother-of-pearl flowerheads, acorns and leaves, inhabited overall by birds including an owl on one side (minor pieces of inlay missing), shoulder stock of rifle type carved with rococo foliage and with raised cheek-piece inlaid with two love birds over a basket of fruit and the owner's initials G.F.K., the cover to the bolt-channel (perhaps later) inlaid en suite, painted with an old inventory number and fitted with engraved bone fore-sight (back-sight missing), iron loop, nut and spurred trigger-guard, and set trigger, circa 1750